What is the best base for a chicken run?

sharon1964 · « **on:** August 31, 2008, 15:27 »

Hi,
I'm new to this site and have a few few chicken 'issues' to sort out at the moment - maybe some one more experienced with chucks can help me!

I have 6 chucks in my back garden, they have a 24ft long x 5ft wide x 3ft high run with 2 higher hen houses at each end, we can't really move them around the garden, and at present this set up has a garden dirt floor and every so often we scrape the top layer off and replace with bark chips or sand/compost mix

Lately the chick poo really whiffs! We have close neighbours and I was wondering if a concrete base will be better (to wash or brush down) can anyone advise me?

We have just dismantled the run for treatment following a red mite infestation and our chucks are treated too and in a treated spare hen house.

Before we set this long run etc back up should we invest in a different base?

Thanks Sharon

muntjac · « **Reply #1 on:** August 31, 2008, 17:45 »

if you have another house at the end divide the run into 2 .12ft by whatever ( its plenty big enough for 6 birds ) so you have 2 enclosures .just move the birds around every 6 months .dig the soil over in the run you have just moved them from. throw some mixed bird seed down or even buck thorn or some other green manure type stuff .perp spinach is great for the birds and rake it in .allow to grow . release the birds into it and redo the other run ....or just put the run back in situ dig the soil over every ew weeks to make it smell betterer

. every now and then just water some jeyes fluid in the soil add some lime rake that in ....

sharon1964 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 31, 2008, 17:49 »

What a good idea! Thanks we'll see if we can do this, kind regards

Sadgit · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2008, 15:09 »

Quote

.or just put the run back in situ dig the soil over every ew weeks to make it smell betterer Wink . every now and then just water some jeyes fluid in the soil add some lime rake that in ....

how long do you have to keep the hens off the soil once you have put the lime/jeyes on?

cheers
SG

agapanthus · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2008, 21:44 »

Am instructed to say from Munty 'about a week'

Sadgit · « **Reply #5 on:** September 05, 2008, 06:42 »

a week? Alas this isn't possible for me because my run is fixed and I don't have space to move it. Is it a week for just the lime as well?

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What is the best base for a chicken run?

sharon1964

What is the best base for a chicken run?

muntjac

What is the best base for a chicken run?

sharon1964

Great Idea!

Sadgit

What is the best base for a chicken run?

agapanthus

What is the best base for a chicken run?

Sadgit

What is the best base for a chicken run?

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